Dining Out

Carvosso’s Wine Bar & Eating House

Above: Carvosso’s Wine Bar & Eating House

There are few things I enjoy more than a night in the cells. That’ll be the ones in Chiswick’s erstwhile late 19th century police station – now cosy private dining spaces within Carvosso’s stylish wine bar and restaurant. It’s a nice touch, retaining the cells by name (1, 2 and 3) and even the bars on some of the windows. But then Carvosso’s is full of nice touches; the snug sitting room with open fireplace, perfect for lunchtime snacking; the convivial, wood-panelled main bar area; the dining room with French doors opening onto a heated courtyard for al fresco dining (and beleaguered smokers!). Finally, the capacious upstairs, spanning the whole building with a beamed, vaulted roof adding to the airy feel: seating up to 80, it’s perfect for private parties.

Carvosso’s ticks every box. Service is excellent – smilingly efficient but tactfully unobtrusive. Décor is quirky and classy – risqué fin de siècle pastels on the walls, stripped wood and cushioned bench seating – and there’s an ambience to suit every mood, from the buzz of the dining room and bar to the intimacy of the ‘cells’. And the fare is equally flexible, from bar snacks to brunch, a well-priced (£13.50 for two courses, £15.50 for three) day’s menu and temptingly expansive modern/traditional European à la Carte selection, starters from £5.50, mains from £8.95. As you’d expect from a restaurateur of Paul Carvosso’s experience and fame, the wine list is sublime: over 70 vintages starting at £13.85 the bottle and soaring as far as your palate and purse desire, with a dessert wine and digestif selection to die for.

With lunch we savoured a Rioja Crianza Azabache 2003/4, intensely fruity and immaculately room temperature, and an elegantly dry Chateau Fonscolombe 2006 rosé, both robust partners for our hearty fare. Minestrone and French onion soup were deliciously fresh and hearty. Roast loin pork with red cabbage and roast parsnip delighted my carnivorous partner by its substantial nature and the zing of chilli in the accompanying jus. As for my boeuf bourguignon with creamy mash, sorry Delia: frozen spuds just cannot compete with the real McCoy; and the meat was gloriously tenderised. Great value, great place. (Davina Dewar)

Carvosso’s Wine Bar & Eating House, 210 Chiswick High Road, W4. Tel: 020 8995 9121